Prince William, Kate Middleton's Taj Mahal Photo Mirroring Princess Diana's Was 'Last Minute' Decision

Prince William and Kate Middleton surprised royal photographers nearly six years ago when they recreated Princess Diana's photo at the Taj Mahal.

Royal photographers Samir and Zak Hussein — sons of royal photographer Anwar Hussein, who chronicled Princess Diana’s journey from 1980 up until her death in 1997 — recently opened up about the stories behind some of the pictures they had taken over the years of the members of the royal family.

One such photo was an iconic 2016 snap of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posing in front of the Taj Mahal that mirrored Princess Diana's solo shot in front of the famous Indian monument in 1992. According to Zak, Middleton and Prince William's decision to recreate his late mother's photo wasn't planned.

"The photo of William and Kate, we didn't actually know if they were gonna do it or not. We were told that they might do it, but, you know, it was ultimately up to them," Zak said on Us Weekly's "Royally Us" podcast Wednesday.

He continued, "They weren't asked to do it by anyone, and it was a case of them making a decision at the last minute, whether they were gonna sit on that bench. I was there poised up ready to take the picture, but not knowing if it was gonna happen, but of course, they did and it was — it was just a really special moment."

Zak also shared his thoughts while taking the "historical" photo. "In the back of your mind, you're photographing it thinking, 'Wow, this is a real special moment,'" he said.

According to the photographer, what made the moment even more special was that his father had taken the same picture of Princess Diana on the same bench more than two decades prior. "It was one of those kinds of great moments and it's just so nice to share that in the exhibition as well," Zak added.

The siblings also discussed their experience taking photos of royal children. According to Samir, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and other royal kids "don't always play by the rules" and can have unexpected moments while out in public despite having been taught the highest standards of decorum.

Samir admitted that the process can be "challenging," but it can also be rewarding, especially when he captures the children's candid moments.

Zak recalled one such moment happening at The King's Cup regatta in August 2019 when Princess Charlotte, now 6, suddenly stuck her tongue out. The little princess, who was with her mother at the time, saw the huge crowd that had gathered to see them at the sailing event and, out of nowhere, cheekily stuck her tongue out, the photographer said.

Zak and his brother are collaborating with their father Anwar on the Princess Diana Accredited Access Exhibition, the first-ever walk-through documentary that shares the untold story of how the late princess changed the world before her 1997 death. They compiled their famous photos and behind-the-scenes details for an up-close-and-personal perspective of the royal family.

Explaining why they wanted to tell the story of the late Princess of Wales' life through pictures, Zak told the podcast that the exhibition has been almost two years in the making and that they felt it was "the right time" for them to share some of their favorite pictures and stories behind them.

"It's the first time all of our pictures have been displayed side-by-side," Zak explained.

Princess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access is currently open in Los Angeles and Chicago, with plans to come to New York City.